The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-03-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. D. c.,
MARCH 4th. 1887.

expired, and [ had as well write
it's obituary a few hours in advance
of its demise.
Many criticisms and slurs and
filings have been leveled at it DUR
ing the brief two years of its exist
ence, and many attempts have
been made to show that it has an
unworthy record. But as a mat
ter of fact it makes a much better
showing than any recent Congress
has done, especially when it is re-
membered that it was Democratic
in one branch and Republican in
the other, and consequently une-
equipped for harmonious and rap
id progress.
One reason that it was constant
ly derided and reviled as a failure
was because extravagant promises
were made for it and more was ex-
pected than could be accomplished,
where one House was under the
control of a vigorous and alert OPP
position. The Forty Seventh Con-
gress was Republican in both
branches and yet it did nothing
that is worthy of mention, while
the little that it did was done very
badly.
The Forty Ninth has enacted a
a law providing for the Presiden-
tial succession, a law for silver
certificates, a law reducing the fee
for money orders ; a law FORGETTING
unearned land grants and restor-
ing about seventy-fve million acres
to the public domain open for ac-
tual settlers; a law in the interest
of the merchant marine; a law
providing for a valuable addition
to the Navy a law for a National
Library !; a law allotting lands in
severalty to the Indians; the in
terstate Commerce law a law es-
tablishing arbitration in labor con-
troversies; and it has redeemed
trade dollars and extended the free
delivery system.
While there is life there is hope,
and while I am writing the Forty
Ninth has three more hours to live.
It's frantic in its efforts to make
the most of this brief period of
grace, and bills are rushing through
rapidly. It is hoped and expected
that among them will be the one
changing Inauguration day from
the bleak, windy fourth of March
to the soft balmy day that the 30th
of April brings. At this moment
the reform measure has not pass
ed.
There have been night sessions
, in both ends of the Capitol during
the week and lively scenes have
occurred in the House through the
wild efforts of members wanting
little bills through to catch the
Speakers eye. 1t is amusing and
even pathethic to see the eagerness
with which members stand in
their places after morning prayer
and wait for Speaker Carlisle to
finish laying before the House the
documents and personal requests
. that accumulate ON his desk, when
: he is through and his eye is sup
, posed to be abroad in the House
the anxious members flourish bits
of paper aloft in order to attract
his glance, while occasionally one
impatient man calls MI. Speaker
4 before the proper time, and then
r half a hundred others shout "Mr
e Speaker" "Mr. Speaker" all al
once.
!. The speaker is imperturbable
> and his voice is always. calm ano
steady, no matter how excitingh hi:
e surroundings. At last evening"
session a score of members rushed
o into the space in front of the clerk
desk, and waving their bills wildly
in the air, vociferously claimed re
n cognition. The confusion on tn
d floor, added to the buzz of CONVEX
sation in the galleries, which wer'
~ filed to their utmost capacity, wa
so great for a time that bushes
/ had to be suspended, and it wa
re only by loud rappings of the gave
and repeated appeals to the mem
h bers to preserve the proprieties
:, assisted by the efforts of the Sci
, geant-at-Arms and his deputies
that the Speaker succeeded in re
d. storing comparative order.
The President is overwhelme
VI with work, and remains at his des
ST during a greater portion of th
re night. These are the busiest day
b. of the year, if not of his Who'll
term. Congress, must adjourn 6
~ noon to-day, and any bills in hi
~ hands undisposed of at that tim
at must fail. For the past few day
ne he has had more than a hundre
re bills lying before him most of tt
time, for as fast as he could dii
Q pose of them others were brougl
in. Many of them require clos
examination which consume
g, much time.
n Three important incidents hay
- occurred to keep alive the intere'
in the Presidents nomination
:. James NJ, Trotter, of Hyde Parl
Mass, to be Recorder of Deeds i
place of the colored appointee frol
We Albany, recently rejected by II
d. Senate. First, he arrived here frol
ut Boston, then his nomination w;
ke acted upon adversely, and he W;
appointed, a little later, by the pre-
ie ent incumbent, Deputy Recorder
Deeds, all on the same day.
.e- Juno.
90 No Steps Backward.
- Chicago Times.
A Republican paper saws :